Gao Hong, 
Director of the Chinese Music Ensemble and Senior Lecturer in Chinese Musical Instruments, was awarded two grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board.
A 2020 Artist Initiative grant in Music funds Gao to write the first double concerto for pipa (Chinese lute) and bassoon with symphony orchestra that will be performed by Hong on pipa, Ye Yu on bassoon, and the Kenwood Symphony Orchestra conducted by Yuri Ivan.
A 2020 Arts Tour Minnesota grant enables Gao to tour small and midsize Minnesota towns, offering a choice of two new pipa music programs.